Ah, 2020. A year that has taken so much away from us, from proper album roll-outs, to our favorite Broadway shows, to going to the movies.
One of the best parts of the summer is escaping the heat to sit inside the movie theater with the AC blasting, but that's not really an option in 2020. Thankfully, Netflix has our back with a wonderful collection of Black romance movies that are equal parts excellent and wonderfully Black.
These five movies feature some incredible Black talent for you to dive into during this socially-distant summer.
Moonlight
- Photo Credit: A24
Listen, if you haven’t watched this Academy Award Best Picture winner yet, what are you doing?
Director Barry Jenkins’ incredible film is just as good as everyone says, and has a legacy far stronger and more impactful than that little snafu at the 89th Academy Awards (I love La La Land, but Moonlight truly was the clear winner).
A story of young love, intimacy and the cyclical nature of our lives, Moonlight is a movie that will stick with you forever, in flashes and revelations that continue long after the credits roll.
The Lovebirds
- Photo Credit: Netflix
Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani are two of the hottest names in Hollywood right now, and their latest film The Lovebirds is a wonderful showcase of these two performing at the height of their talents.
The jokes runneth over in this film, with each of them volleying quips to each other that are so rich and so fast, you won’t be able to keep up with what you’re even laughing at in any given moment.
Fresh off her incredible fourth season of Insecure, Issa Rae plays Leilani and Nanjiani plays her boyfriend Jibran, who go on a zany all-night adventure together.
Hitch
- Photo Credit: Columbia Pictures
I mean, Hitch is just a classic in the rom-com canon now.
This Will Smith vehicle still holds up, and has some wonderful laughs. The 2000s was an embarrassment of rom-com riches, and this one is no exception.
Follow Hitch (Smith) as he uses his own skills as a “date doctor” in his work, as well as in his own love life as he pursues Sara (Eva Mendes).
The Incredible Jessica James
- Photo Credit: Netflix
2 Dope Queens was one of the best, most influential podcasts of the last decade, and co-host Jessica Williams has become a star in her own right (as has her co-host Phoebe Robinson).
The Incredible Jessica James is a lovely rom-com that follows Jessica (Williams) as she gets back on the dating horse after a rough break-up. If you aren’t obsessed with Jessica Williams already, you’ll fall in love by the end of this film.
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All the Bright Places
- Photo Credit: Netflix
What’s even mushier (in all the right ways) than a classic rom-com, you ask? The legendary teen rom-com, of course!
Netflix has already proved itself a master of this specific genre with new classics like To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, and All the Bright Places is a new hit for the streaming service.
The chemistry between young hollywood stars Justice Smith and Elle Fanning is so sweet you’ll want to sit back, relax (with a bucket of popcorn of course), and watch them fall in love.
Featured still from "The Lovebirds" via Netflix
